Cannot Remove Memoji from Frequent/Recent Emoji Section in Messages through Any Means

Question

Level 1

19 points

Cannot Remove Memoji from Frequent/Recent Emoji Section in Messages through Any Means

For months, the Frequent/Recent Emoji section in Messages has been broken. I use an iPhone 16, iOS 18.3.2, but the section has been broken for several iOS updates.

In short, any Memoji I use instantly appear in every third diagonal in the Frequent Emoji section. A single use of a Memoji puts it in column 1, row 3. Using another Memoji takes its place and puts the previous one in column 2, row 2. The next, column 3, row 1. So on and so forth (see screenshot). These Memoji cannot be removed from the section, only replaced by other Memoji. Resetting the keyboard, restarting the phone, using other emoji... none of these approaches move the Memoji out of these diagonals. Again, the Memoji cannot be removed from the Frequent Emoji section on my phone.

Normal emoji algorithmically move around in the Frequent Emoji section based on how frequently they are used. This behavior should apply to Memoji, too. It is obnoxious that the inclusion of Memoji in this section is dictated by a different set of rules.

I have submitted feedback with Apple support's form twice already, but figured I would post here as well. My questions to the community are:

Have you experienced these diagonals of Memoji in the Frequent Emoji section?
Did you manage to remove the Memoji from the section, and if so, what method(s) worked?

Thank you.

iPhone 16

Posted on Mar 20, 2025 6:14 AM

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Answer 1

⚠️

Top-ranking reply

Steve_0o

Level 1

8 points

Apr 2, 2025 2:38 AM in response to MitoCringo

So first of all I found a solution for this just a few minutes ago!

It is feasible no question but worked out.

It is still a bug in the OS and should be fixed!!!!!!

I got rid of the Memoji sticker the following way:

Open iMessage and head into a chat
Click on the plus button and open Sticker
Go to recent Sticker Tab
Delete every sticker in there by press, hold until it gets floaty a bit. Remove finger and tab on the delete menu entry
After deleting all the stickers there they also disappeared in the emoji recent tab

I hope this helps and solves your problem, as well!

Reply

Answer 2

MitoCringo Author

Level 1

19 points

Apr 2, 2025 6:40 AM in response to Steve_0o

Steve_0o, THANK YOU for finding this workaround. Your instructions to navigate the very poor UI are clear and worked like a charm. Virtual double high five!

As I deleted Memoji stickers from the recent stickers tab, I periodically went back to the recent emoji tab and could see the remaining recent Memoji filing into the diagonals. Again, those Memoji stickers haven't been used in months, so why would they appear there? I agree this is still a bug in the OS and should be fixed!

In regard to the bad UI, though, in the area of Messages where users can create Memoji, they're simply called Memoji. Example:

Open Messages, head into a chat
Enter the emoji keyboard
Select the left-most tab (face with heart eyes)
Select the three dots (...) menu to the upper right of the keyboard
The screen says "New Memoji", edit, duplicate, delete

Nowhere in that process does it mention Stickers or Memoji stickers. Yet in the plus (+) button/menu in Messages, both Stickers and Memoji are options. But of course the Memoji option in the plus menu is NOT where the user can remove recently used Memoji, instead that's in the Stickers option. And elsewhere in the iOS, mentions of stickers relate to creating stickers from photos, which is an entirely different thing than Memoji. It's such a mess.

Thanks again for finding this temporary solution! For anyone else frustrated by this, follow Steve_0o's instructions he posted, copied here:

I got rid of the Memoji sticker the following way:

Open iMessage and head into a chat
Click on the plus button and open Sticker
Go to recent Sticker Tab
Delete every sticker in there by press, hold until it gets floaty a bit. Remove finger and tab on the delete menu entry
After deleting all the stickers there they also disappeared in the emoji recent tab